Walked to the Breaking Point

Greetings everyone! Been out of touch for longer than expected, but that will be explained at the end of the post. Mark and I are anxious to share our experience finishing the John Muir Trail!

My first visit to Devil's Postpile, Mammoth Lakes, CA

On top of the world - Clouds Rest, Yosemite Valley

The only way to explain our journey out of Mammoth Lakes is to quote Mark's journal entry at the end of the day (foul language used, please cover your children's eyes):

"Day 39: June 23, 2013

• Caught trolley to Ski Lift area
• Amanda left wallet at hostel and we had to ride the trolley all the way back
• Mark kicked a curb and hurt his big toe while exiting the trolley
• Found a hitch to "toll" area of Devil's Postpile
• Waited an hour trying to hitch down to Red's Meadow as tourists with empty cars gave us the cold shoulder
• Eventually hitched back to Ski Area to wait for the bus that costs $7/person
• Mark left his hiking poles in someones car... Fucking shit balls Ass-hat !@#! (They're expensive God dammit)
• Walked backwards 2 miles in search of said poles. Bad mood ensured
• Amanda got sick again and hardly made it to our early campsite"

The few days following our first day out were slightly better but not much. We decided to take the JMT route instead of the traditional PCT route (they reconnect about 10 miles out of Mammoth at Thousand Island Lakes). Ends up, there is significantly more elevation change on the JMT -surprise- and the weather report was right on cue. Rain, wind and snow for the next three days. However uncomfortable our first few days were, we finally ascended Island and Donahue Pass and the weather (and our spirits) cleared  up. And so we descended through the 11 miles of grass field and mosquitoes into Tuolumne Meadows. There we got a chance to catch up with a few of our hiker buddies before continuing down into Yosemite Valley.

On top of Donahue Pass, and the weather breaks!

Donahue Pass

We took our time coming down into the valley, having originally planned to summit Half Dome on the way down. Mark and I had talked to Chris, an avid Sierra Nevada hiker, on our way into Tuolumne and he had highly recommended hiking up Clouds Rest and staying the night on the summit instead of going up Half Dome. We weren't sure if it was worth spending an extra day for, but decided last minute to give it a shot - boy was Chris right. The views from the top were incredible 360 degree panoramas from which you could see the whole of the Yosemite Wilderness. Definitely one of our best camp spots so far on the trip! No pictures will do it justice, so we pass on to all of you another great hiking destination.

View of Yosemite Valley coming from Tuolumne Meadows

Looking into the Valley from Clouds Rest

Our campsite on a ridge - check out our kitchen!

Clouds rest was night 42 and Yosemite Valley was night 43-46 - it's amazing how quickly time passes! On our way down from Clouds Rest, we stopped to quickly run up Half Dome, but gave up after waiting an hour for a ranger (who never hiked up to the check point) to give us permission (we had no permit). Oh well, next time it is. The amount of people on the last mile of the JMT were overwhelming and the scene can only be described as a hectic Disneyland. The rest of the valley way just as bad, but luckily Mark and I ran into some unexpected trail magic from a group of weekend campers who fed us and then donated a bunch of trail food for our cause! We rented bikes, foraged for left overs in the cafeteria, and ate giant portions of ice cream.

Early morning view of Half Dome 

Nevada Falls taken from the John Muir Trail

Our last night in Yosemite Valley was spend picking wild raspberries by our "stealth" camp spot hidden in the woods out of view from the rangers. No bears since the one we saw at the beginning of the Sierras. Not even in Yosemite Valley...

How I got around town. Hobosac.

Our new friends!

Unfortunately, my foot had been bothering me for a while, and when it started to continue to hurt at rest I decided to get it checked out at the Medical Clinic. The X-Ray showed a tiny stress fracture in the center-ish area of my left foot, and so with that my dear followers, I give you the end of our PCT adventure. Not to worry, I will heal up just fine (they tried to give me crutches, but I knew I would impair myself even more so I declined). 6 weeks of rest, ice and elevation should do the trick, but Mark and I are somewhat heartbroken that we can't see the many miles to come. However, we can't complain too much, because not too many people get to see what we saw in the way that we saw it. We are both so grateful for and respectful of the natural beauty we walked through. At upwards of 900 miles, that's not too bad for a first time backpacker like myself.

 We will keep you posted on our future adventures in the outdoors! More excitement and great pictures to come. Love and thanks to our readers.

-Stink Bug